Exercising apparatus



(No Model.)

LA PAYBTTE STEVENS.

EXBRCISING APPARATUS.

Patented July 1, 1884.

N. PETERS. Phulwbhugnlpher. walhngion. D. Cy

Unirse Brr-irre Bernini" @ricrea La FAYETTE STEVENS, 0F ELMIRA, NEV YORK.

. EXERCISlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATIGN forming pari; of Letters Patent No.` 301,298,dated July l, 1884.

Application tiled April 9, 18S-'1.

.llo @ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, LA Fiivn'r'rn STiivnNs, of Elmira, in the county of Chexnung, in the State of 4New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Muscle-Exercising Apparatus, of which the following, taken in `connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

rlhis invention relates to the class of apparatus which are designed to afford physical exercise to persons by lifting heavy weights or pulling against a resisting power.

The invent-ion consists in anovel construction and combination of the constituent parts ofan apparatus which affords the greatest conven ience of adjustment to the height of the operator and presents its power of resistance gradually, so that the operator is allowed to assume nearly or quite an erect positionr before he is subjected to the maximum strain.

rI'he invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings, wherein Figure l is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line ai x, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the lower portion ofthe apparatus, taken on the line .fr m, and showing more fully the means for taking up part ofthe play ofthe spring and setting the apparatus for use for a powerful person. Fig. et is a vertical transverse section on lineg/ y, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the liftingbar, and Fig. Gis a transverse section on line z .2', Fig. 5.

Similar letters of reference indicate spending parts.

A represents a platform, supported on posts l? l? of proper height to admit of attaching to the under side of theplatform the springs S, S, and S,which may beeither of the elliptic style, as shown, or of any other suitable form, but of different lengths, so as to receive successively the bearing of the cross-bar D, which is attached to the larger and primary spring S.

B B denote the lifting-bars, which are connected with the cross-barD and project through the platform A, and are provided above the latter with a suitable handle, B", for the manipulation by the operator of the apparatus. ln order to facilitate the attachment and detachment of the lifting-bars, and also admit of a ready adjustment of the same to the height of (No model.)

the operator, lf form the liftinglbars oftubesB, slidingli n a guide, K, secured to the platform A. The lower end is provided with a removable foot, B2, which rests on top of the cross-bar I'), and is provided with a strap, a, by which it is connected with a hook, c', attached to the crossbar D. By disconnecting the tube B from the foot BZ the latter is readily thrown off the hook a, and thus liberated. the aforesaid tube is provided with a removable cap, B, having a slot, s, through which slides the lifting-bar proper',B, which is formed of aflat bar of metal, and thus prevented from turning. That portion of the bar B which isinside ofthe tube B is. provided on its side with a pin or projection, c, adapted to interlock or engage with one of a series of apertures, b b, in the side of the tube B. Aspring, d, attached to the opposite side ofthe bar B and pressing against the interior of the tube B', serves to hold the projection c in engagement with the aperture b. This arrangement allows the op erator to adjust the length of the lifting-bars by simply exerting a lateral pressure on the bar B in the direction toward the spring d, the latter yielding sufficiently to allow the pin c to withdraw from the aperture b. Then, by slidi ng the bar B up or down in the tube B', and at the proper time relieving the bar B of the lateral strain,the projection c enters one of the apcrtures b. The springs SSare shorter than the spring S, so as to be normally deprived of a bearing on the crossbar D. In lifting on the bars B the spring S primarily presents its resistance to the movement of the crossbar D,

The upper end of said resistance gradually increasing until the cross-bar encounters the secondary springs S S, when the resistance is further augmented by the additional bearing of the said springs.

To the under side of the platform A are attached two flexiblemetallicstraps, ff, which pass through slots or openings e e in the crossbar D, and are provided above the latter with stirrups g. The straps f f stand normally in such position as to allow the openings e '6 to pass over the stirrups and the cross-bar D to freely rise and descend without engaging with the stirrups. By connecting to the free ends of the straps a spring, 7i., crowding the said straps in the direction toward which the stirrups g face, the strapsff are allowed to yield IOO ation by a powerful person not wishing to be laterally sufficiently to admit of raising the cross-bar D above the stirrups, and when the cross-bar is in thiselevated position the stirrups engage the under side thereof and retain the cross-bar, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The aforesaid arrangement allows the apparatus to be set for opersnbjected to the movement required to overcome the primary action of the spring S.

From the cross-bar D projects an arm, E, on the free end of which rests the lower eXtremity of a vertical'iack, F,which engages a pinion, G, attached to an arbor, n, mounted on suitable supports on top of the platform A. Said arbor projects through the center of a dial, H, and is provided in front of said' dial with a pointer or indicator7 I, the dial being graduated to represent-the number of pounds lifted by the operator. In .lifting on the bars B B the cross-bar D pushes ,upward the rack F by means of the arm`E, andin the ascent ofthe rack the pinion G receives a rotary motion, which is transmitted to the indicator I, and the latter serves to point out on the dial H the number of pounds lifted by the operator.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

' I. In combination with the platform A, the lifting-bars B B,cross-bar D, and springs S S', interposed between the crossbar and platform, substantially a's shown.

2. In combination with the platform A, liftf ing-bars B B, and cross-bar D, the primary spring S, connecting the cross-bar with the platform, and the secondary'springs S', reaching part way the distance between the crossbar and platform, substantially as described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination,with the platform A, of thelifting-bars B, cross-bar D, springs S S', arm E, rack F, pinion G, dial I-I, and indicator I, substantially as described and shown.

4. In combination with the platform A, spring S, and cross-barD, the guide Kand lifting-bar B, sliding in side guide and having the detachable foot B", restingon the cross-bar, and provided with the coupling-strap a and coupling-hook a', attached to the cross-bar, sub

stantially as described and shown.

5. The lifting-bar, composed of the tube B', provided with the attaching-strap a and apertures b b. and the bar B, provided with the handle B4, projection c, and spring d, substantially in the manner specified and shown.

6. The bar B, provided with the handle B4, projection c, andlspring d, in combination with the tube B', provided with apertures b b, removable ends B'Z and B3', and attachingstrap a, substantially as shown and described.

7. In combination with the platform A, lifting-bars B, and springs S S', the cross-bar D, provided with openings e e, the flexible straps ff, provided with the stirrup tr/,and the spring h, substantially as and for'the purpose shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my seal, in the presence of t'wo attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 28th day of March, 1884.

LA FAYET'IE STEVENS. '[L. s]

Witnesses: v

C. H. DUELL, FREDERICK IH. GIBBs. 

